COLUMN: Shame on You

Published: Thursday, April 25, 2013 at 10:33 AM.

“Shame on you Washington,” said the president after the gun control bill was defeated in the Senate. For once, I agree with him, but the shame is not limited to Washington.

I think the National Rifle Association is a disgrace to America. It has taken a constitutional provision installed by our country’s founders and warped it beyond recognition. The right to bear arms was included in our constitution to protect us from English tyranny. The NRA has forced its interpretation upon us whether we like it or not, and that interpretation is that there should be absolutely no gun control. The organization has amassed millions of dollars that enable it to defeat anyone who even mentions the possibility of gun control.

And there is where the president and I agree when he said, “Shame on you Washington.” A lazy Senate is so afraid of the possibility of a presidential veto, which would force them to overcome it with a two-thirds vote, that they have adopted a process that requires 60 votes (not 51) to pass anything in the Senate. That gutless requirement was in effect when the Senate voted on even the extremely mild gun control that was proposed. So even though more than half of the senators were for a mild form of gun control, as was the president, the bill failed because it couldn’t get 60 votes.

And that brings us to the senators themselves. They recognize the power of the NRA. They want its support and they certainly do not want its enmity. So the senators voted for their jobs and their pocketbooks instead of voting for their country’s and the peoples’ welfare. They have no guts.

How can they justify opposition to assault rifles and multiple bullet gun cartridges? Those are for the armed forces. They do not limit the hunter or the person who wishes to defend himself. The NRA contends that “guns don’t kill people, people kill people.” But they and their gutless politicians will not allow background checks so that the insane and the criminals would not be able to buy guns.

The gun control issue in the Senate fundamentally pitted liberals versus conservatives with liberals in heavily populated centers favoring gun control and conservatives from urban areas against gun control. Do we have to live in heavily populated areas where murder is such a problem to have some sense about gun control? And what about you and me who send gutless politicians to Washington? There is plenty of blame to go around!

“Shame on you Washington,” said the president after the gun control bill was defeated in the Senate. For once, I agree with him, but the shame is not limited to Washington.

I think the National Rifle Association is a disgrace to America. It has taken a constitutional provision installed by our country’s founders and warped it beyond recognition. The right to bear arms was included in our constitution to protect us from English tyranny. The NRA has forced its interpretation upon us whether we like it or not, and that interpretation is that there should be absolutely no gun control. The organization has amassed millions of dollars that enable it to defeat anyone who even mentions the possibility of gun control.

And there is where the president and I agree when he said, “Shame on you Washington.” A lazy Senate is so afraid of the possibility of a presidential veto, which would force them to overcome it with a two-thirds vote, that they have adopted a process that requires 60 votes (not 51) to pass anything in the Senate. That gutless requirement was in effect when the Senate voted on even the extremely mild gun control that was proposed. So even though more than half of the senators were for a mild form of gun control, as was the president, the bill failed because it couldn’t get 60 votes.

And that brings us to the senators themselves. They recognize the power of the NRA. They want its support and they certainly do not want its enmity. So the senators voted for their jobs and their pocketbooks instead of voting for their country’s and the peoples’ welfare. They have no guts.

How can they justify opposition to assault rifles and multiple bullet gun cartridges? Those are for the armed forces. They do not limit the hunter or the person who wishes to defend himself. The NRA contends that “guns don’t kill people, people kill people.” But they and their gutless politicians will not allow background checks so that the insane and the criminals would not be able to buy guns.

The gun control issue in the Senate fundamentally pitted liberals versus conservatives with liberals in heavily populated centers favoring gun control and conservatives from urban areas against gun control. Do we have to live in heavily populated areas where murder is such a problem to have some sense about gun control? And what about you and me who send gutless politicians to Washington? There is plenty of blame to go around!

Shame on the NRA that uses its enormous financial power to assure that our nation continues its violent course.

Shame on politicians who are so gutless that they knuckle under to the NRA.

Shame on we conservatives who warp our conservatism to include no gun control whatsoever.

Shame on the voters who send gutless politicians to Washington and on our legislators who are afraid to make any effort to control gun violence.

Our reputation for doing nothing about gun violence is international. We were in Denmark on a tour some years ago and our guide was a very personable and knowledgeable young lady. We asked her if she had ever been to the USA. She said she had, and that she was frightened the whole time she was there by our international reputation for gun violence and crime.

So “shame on us” for letting gun violence go unchecked. I respect those who disagree with this assessment, but I am convinced they are dead wrong. I just hope the “dead” part of that statement does not have to be applied to them or us.